The University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts announced it is pausing applications for multi-year contracts for academic professionals and administrators, or P&A, for the current fiscal year in an email sent to staff Monday. 

The email cited substantial financial challenges for the pause, including renewals of multi-year contracts. CLA receives an average of seven applications for new multi-year contracts each year. 

CLA employs 550 academic professionals and 70 administrative employees, according to institutional data from 2024. P&As conduct research, teach students, direct programs, offer counseling, manage budgets and outreach programs and oversee departments.

Janet Thomas-Bouyer, the University’s chief human resources officer who sent the email, said the college hopes to move forward with this process in the next financial year. Thomas-Boyer said a similar pause happened in January 2021 and was lifted in 2022. 

In 1980, P&As made up 6% of the entire University, but today they make up 25%, according to the P&A Senate. Over the last decade, the University saw a decrease in tenured or tenure-track professors. 

There will be no impact on current P&A staff. 

The email did not say if the University will pause semesterly or one-year contracts for P&A.

Thomas-Boyer said CLA will continue to support its current P&A faculty members and that they will continue to balance these current commitments with flexibility. 

This article has been edited for clarity.